Couples and Family Counseling Flashcards
6 cards from real LPC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Couples and Family Counseling flashcards as text
Murray Bowen's concept of the 'triangle' in family systems theory refers to:
Answer: The stabilizing mechanism of introducing a third person into a two-person relationship under stress
Bowen's triangle is the basic unit of the emotional system — when two-person anxiety escalates, a third person is drawn in to stabilize the system by spreading tension.
John Gottman's research on couples identified four communication patterns predictive of divorce, known as:
Answer: Criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling
Gottman's 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' — Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, and Stonewalling — are highly predictive of relationship dissolution.
Structural family therapy, developed by Minuchin, focuses on changing which aspect of the family system?
Answer: Family structure — boundaries, subsystems, and hierarchies — to improve functioning
Structural family therapy focuses on reorganizing the family's structure — the patterns of interaction, boundaries, and hierarchies — to create clearer, more functional organization.
In Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples, the primary therapeutic focus is on:
Answer: Accessing and restructuring the underlying emotional experiences and attachment needs that drive negative interaction cycles
EFT (Sue Johnson) focuses on accessing and restructuring the emotional and attachment experiences underlying negative cycles, helping partners move from defensive reactivity to safe bonding.
The technique of 'reframing' in family therapy involves:
Answer: Offering an alternative interpretation of a behavior or situation to change its meaning
Reframing offers a new interpretive frame for behavior — for example, reframing a teenager's defiance as a bid for autonomy — to shift the emotional context and open new possibilities.
The concept of 'identified patient' (IP) in family therapy refers to:
Answer: The family member whose symptoms are understood as carrying or expressing the family system's dysfunction
The identified patient is the family member whose symptoms are seen by the family (and often society) as the problem, while systemic therapists understand these symptoms as expressions of broader family dysfunction.